


A Mug Full of Memories

by xxDustNight88



Series: When the Dust Settles [20]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 31 Days Writing Challenge, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Light Angst, Natasha Romanov Did Die, One Shot, Time Stone, Tony Stark didn't die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:49:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26828413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxDustNight88/pseuds/xxDustNight88
Summary: Rushing to get ready one morning, Pepper breaks something that Tony treasures. Can she put the pieces back together and make things right?
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Series: When the Dust Settles [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/703266
Comments: 10
Kudos: 29
Collections: 31 Days of Writing Challenge - Fall 2020





	A Mug Full of Memories

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MWolfe13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MWolfe13/gifts).



> Oh how I love these two! I'm glad to write this for my writer friend MWolfe13 who prompted this challenge for today's 31 Days of Writing Challenge! Happy reading! Much love, xxDustNight
> 
> Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.
> 
> Prompt: #31DaysOfWriting October 4th: A Challenge From Someone  
> My Challenge: Person A accidentally breaks Person B favorite mug. (prompted by MWolfe13)

Pepper, as much as she liked to pretend, was not a morning person. She loved to languish in bed until ten or eleven, but that was never the case. With meetings and an entire company to run, she often had to be out of bed before the sun was barely in the sky. People expected her to be up and at em, so that's just what she always tended to do. Even Tony hadn't known of her snoozing habit until they moved in together.

Unfortunately, that meant having to drink copious amounts of coffee or caffeinated tea to make sure she was awake. This morning she'd hit the snooze a few extra times after having been awake in the lab with Tony until nearly two in the morning. She was undoubtedly regretting that now as she rushed to slip on her Louboutins while fighting with the coffee maker.

Watching as the coffee trickled into the pot, steeped to the boldest possible setting, Pepper used one hand to slide on her Louboutin while opening the cupboard. Blindly, she felt around for her travel mug, pulling it down just as her heel hit the tile floor. However, the edge of her travel mug hit the handle on another and sent it crashing to the floor.

Ceramic ricocheted about her feet as a shriek left her lips. She jumped as Tony came rushing into the kitchen, half-dressed and looking about wide-eyed.

"What happened?" he questioned, coming forward and gently taking hold of her upper arms. "Are you alright?"

Pepper swallowed and nodded. "I'm fine. I just accidentally broke a mug. That's all."

Tony sighed in relief and placed a kiss to her forehead. Letting go of his hold on her, he knelt down to pick up the broken pieces. "That's okay. I was just worried something happened to-" he paused as he picked up a particular piece, turning it over to see the front.

"What is it?" Pepper asked, now pouring her coffee into the travel mug.

"This is the mug Nat got me…" Tony trailed off, his thumb brushing over the smooth part of the broken mug face.

"Oh no…" Pepper trailed off, her heart suddenly dropping into the pit of her stomach. "The Iron Man one?" She put the lid on her coffee and set it aside.

Tony finished picking up the pieces and put them in a brown paper bag to throw away safely. "Yeah. Nat got me this as a gag gift for Christmas one year."

"And now she's gone," Pepper said softly, reaching out to place a hand on Tony's wrist. "I'm so sorry, Tony. I should have been paying more attention." She felt genuinely horrible now.

"It's okay," Tony said, turning away and putting the bag into the trash. "It was bound to get lost or break eventually. I'm going to go to the gym before that meeting later this morning. I'll, uh, see you there." He paused briefly to kiss Pepper's cheek and then disappeared back into the bedroom once more.

Once Tony was gone, Pepper quietly snuck the paper bag of broken pieces out of the trash can and slid it into her briefcase. She didn't know how, but she'd find a way to make this right. Tony did a lot for her, and she could, at the very least, find a way to fix his favorite mug. Especially one that meant so much.

* * *

All morning Pepper thought about ways in which she could make it up to Tony. It hurt her heart that she broke the one remaining item that he had from Natasha. Biting at her lip, Pepper scrolled through the contacts in her phone, hoping to find someone that might know how to fix the broken mug.

Her eyes lit up as they caught sight of a certain Doctor that had access to magic that could repair the damage she had done. Before she even had a chance to hit send, a magical, golden circle formed in the middle of her office. Smiling, Pepper watched as Doctor Strange appeared out of thin air.

"I'm not supposed to use the Time Stone for this sort of thing," Strange said as he sealed up the dimension behind him.

"And you're not supposed to even have the Time Stone," Pepper countered, a smirk lifting the corner of her mouth as she stood from her chair.

"Point taken," Strange smiled then and held out his hand. "Show me the mug so we can repair what once was."

Opening her drawer, Pepper pulled out the paper bag that held the contents of the mug. She gently poured them out on the desk for Strange to see and then stepped back. "Work your magic, Doctor Strange."

"I'll do my best."

* * *

Later that morning, Pepper spotted Tony waiting in the boardroom for their meeting to begin. Biting back a secret smile, she entered the room and made her way to the refreshment stand. "Hi, Tony," she said, her back to him so he wouldn't see what she was doing. "Are you doing okay?"

Heaving a sigh, Tony leaned back in the chair at the head of the long table and attempted a smile. "I'm fine. Worked myself ragged at the gym. Even Rhodey was impressed."

Finishing making a cup of coffee, Pepper made her way over to the table and sat on the edge. She set down the drink in front of Tony and said, "I am truly sorry for breaking your mug, Tony."

"I know you are," Tony replied, meeting her gaze. "I know it was an accident."

Shrugging one shoulder, she pointed down at surprise. "I hope this makes up for what happened."

Confusion furrowing his brow, Tony glanced down only to be surprised. "What's this?" he asked, picking up the mug. "Is this the same one that broke?"

Unable to hold in her excitement, Pepper laughed and said, "It is! I called in a favor with a certain Sorcerer. He had it fixed in a jiffy for you."

Tony set the mug down and stood up, wrapping both arms around Pepper to hold her close. He kissed her on the lips, letting her deepen it for a moment before pulling back. "I love you so much, you know that, right?"

"I do," she replied, brushing a few stray hairs back from his forehead. "And I love you too."

"Good," Tony said again, before kissing her on the cheek. He sat back down and sipped his coffee happily from the mug that was full of memories of his lost friend.

Pepper watched him happily, thrilled that she'd been able to fix what had happened to the mug. She'd make sure they kept it safer from now on. As other members of the board began to file into the room, Pepper moved away from Tony to prepare for the meeting. She did enjoy the way Tony's gaze always sought her out, and the way he tipped the cup her way in silent thanks again. She loved him dearly and would do anything to make him smile.

**Author's Note:**

> For updates and information about my other works and projects, check me out on...  
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